A Latin dance class, broadcasting from a 50-inch monitor in the front window,
was in full swing at Sunday's grand opening of the new Brookline Community Center
for the Arts at 14 Green St. in Coolidge Corner. The entranceway was bustling
as well, with varied BCCA personnel greeting and assisting eager dance participants,
committed arts supporters, bewildered onlookers and curious passers-by.

The BCCA, which Marshall began with partners Olaf Bleck, who directs the dance
company SalsaBoston, and independent consultant Vlad Selsky, aims to bring a
large-scale community arts center to Brookline at affordable prices.

"I noticed that there were not enough community and culturally-inclusive offerings
in the town of Brookline," said Marshall, noting a few of Cambridge's rich offerings
such as the Cambridge Dance Complex. "Our aim was to establish a community center
where area residents could attend lessons in dance, martial arts, fitness, and
other recreational activities."

BCCA opened Sunday in the former site of Aish Ha'Torah, which had been holding
most of its events in other locations, and is soon to open an Allston office.

Brookline's newest addition to the arts will eventually include six dance studios
of varied sizes; three, which will open into the large dance hall, are due to
be completed by mid-April, and three more by mid- to late May.

Marshall, who holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from University
of Massachusetts at Amherst and is completing a master's degree in computer
engineering at Northeastern University, studied dance in Western Massachusetts
and Israel.

Upon its completion, Marshall said the dance studio will be among the most
modern in the country. The privately-funded, nonprofit BCCA will offer a full
spectrum of classes covering all forms of movement art, including dance, martial
arts, yoga, as well as health and fitness.

The center's ever-expanding slate of activities will go from 6 a.m.-10 p.m.,
with after-hours events and workshops in the works as well. Bleck, one of Marshall's
business partners, who holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and
business management from M.I.T., is currently updating the center's website,
which includes a mailing list.

BCCA is an off-shoot of Marshall's two and a half-year old company, FreEMotion,
which he describes as a venture "to intermingle artistic genres with classical
world dances and jazz, in a fusion of original, intercultural entertainment
through performances and workshops."

Bleck and Marshall met three years ago at the club Sophia's where they were
both working at the time. Along with Selsky, the three have entered into a partnership
to run the BCCA and are sharing the responsibilities.

"I'm handling a lot of the planning and overall logistics involved in getting
the center open. I guess I'm the self-appointed CFO," said Bleck. Marshall's
father, Jim Marshall, an accountant at the Four Seasons Hotel, will be handling
the books.

Hoping to fill a "cultural void" in the Brookline area, BCCA has tailored their
offerings to the Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Latin, and Jewish communities
in Brookline and surrounding towns. They also plan to include classes for the
elderly and those who have suffered debilitating injuries (BCCA is largely,
but will eventually be fully, wheelchair-accessible).

In terms of its faculty, BCCA has already signed up a number of professional
artists. Marshall said the BCCA encourages autonomy among its faculty (Marshall
frowns upon the less-inclusive-sounding "teacher"), because he understands that
each has a different lifestyle, approach, class size and environment. BCCA is
also promoting financial opportunities for their faculty members as well.

"We provide the infrastructure for them to grow and develop," said Marshall.
"All faculty members can keep their revenues following their teaching fees.
They don't make payments ahead of time, so they can test their classes from
a small scale."

Faculty member Erica Sigal, who dances with Aerö, a Newton-based dance company
that provides classes for physically-challenged children and adults, will teach
creative movement to children and parents, and "Dance your tale off," which
incorporates storybooks to bring language acquisition into the movement.

Based on the tremendous turnout at Sunday's grand opening event, the community's
response to BCCA is overwhelmingly positive.

"I saw a flyer," said Elgan Webster, a town resident of "the Point" area by
Jamaica Pond, who came with his wife Annette and their children Samanatha, 6,
and Tyler, 4. "Samantha is going to take ballet. This is a spacious place, and
that's what caught my eye. There's a family atmosphere going on."

At a time of economic and cultural uncertainty, Marshall, Bleck and Selsky
hope BCCA will be something of a haven for the community and hope their venture
will be a success.

"Dance is something that many people require in their lives," said Bleck. "It
sort of insulates them from the ebb and flow of the economy. In a recession,
you would think it's a tough time to start a business, but it's something they
need."

To schedule a faculty interview, inquire about studio space availability,
make a donation or investment or for more information, call Marshall at 617-970-1444,
email Dan_Y_Marshall@prodigy.net, or visit www.BCCAonline.com. Tax-deductible
donations may be sent to the Brookline Community Center for the Arts, Inc.,
14 Green St., Brookline, 02446.